Sudden death

[Russorob]

So I have a rather small flock of 8 hens and 1 rooster. All have been doing well and never gave me cause for concern until yesterday. I noticed my aracauna was sitting in one spot all day and she refused to stand. I knew she wasn’t broody, and she wouldn’t really react to anything. 2 days ago she was just fine interacting with the others and gave me no cause for concern. I moved her the the coop for the night considering it was going to get below freezing and I knew it would be warmer. This morning when I went to check on her she, hadn’t made it through the night. Is this something aracaunas are prone to? Any idea of what could have caused her to die? Any help would be great.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. How old was she? Was she laying eggs? The best way to get a diagnosis is to have your state vet perform a necropsy on her body, kept cold, and sent in today. Sometimes you can do your own necropsy and find some things abnormal in the abdominal organs. Taking pictures to post here is good on a home necropsy. Araucanas are a rarer breed, but sometimes easter eggers are mistakenly called araucanas by some feed stores or hatcheries. True araucanas do not have rumps, and have the gene for laying blue eggs. When I see a chicken off to herself, I check the crop to see if it is full or empty, firm or puffy. Note what the droppings look like. Reproductive disorders, cancer, and crop problems are common problems with hens over two. Offer electrolytes and fluids with sugar. Here is a list of state vets for necropsies:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html